Lemonade
by theaprilbaby
Summary: Sano is thankful for having the chance to know Mizuki.


Hi. Thank you to everyone who reviewed and/or favorited this fic. Sorry I have to take the lyrics down for this because I just got in trouble for another one of my fics because there were songfics in it. If you would still like to see the full version WITH the song, please go to [my-imaginating . livejournal 25976 . html], without the spaces of course.

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>I don't own the song or the characters.

**Song: **Lemonade - Chris Rice

Sano Izumi felt himself tremble slightly as his fingers brushed the ring in his pocket. He couldn't recall ever being so nervous before in his life, even with all his athletic competitions and drama-filled high school career. He was about to ask the love of his life to marry him. Why was that so terrifying?

_/song break/_

Intuitively he knew she loved him, but there was something about the asking that made all the butterflies in his stomach wreak havoc on him. He got up off the edge of his bed and starting pacing about the room, his nervous energy making his steps swift.

A flash of color caught his eye and he slowed to a stop. His wall was decorated with dozens of pictures of Ashiya Mizuki. The one that caught his eye had been one Akiha Hara had taken of her on one of his artistic whims and given to him with a sly wink. Nonetheless, he'd been grateful. She looked like she had stepped out of his dreams. She had her slender arms around a huge bouquet of flowers, laughing delightedly as even more flowers rained down on her from above. Her smile lit up his room, even while printed in a photograph. He felt his own lips twitch in response, his fears draining out of him. Without a second thought, leaned over to kiss her smiling mouth.

_/song break/_

"Sano?"

There, as if his prayers had been answered stood Mizuki in the doorway. Wreathed in the light coming from the hallway and dressed in a floating white dress, she looked like an angel. He stepped back from the picture a little self-consciously. "Hey, Mizuki."

She watched him curiously, her head cocking slightly to the side and looking for all the world like a cute lost puppy. She glanced over at the wall and, with a blush diffusing over her delicate face, asked, "What were you doing?"

Sano smiled fully as he made his way over to her, his long strides calm now. "Missing you." His grin widened as her blush made its way to her ears. He cupped one hand around her face while the other braced him against the doorway. His expression softened as he bent forward slightly to meet her eyes, his fingers tracing her soft lips. "I love you," he murmured, leaning in to steal a kiss.

_/song break/_

He felt her shiver as he pulled back from her lips, now open in a breathless sigh. His eyes darkened as he took in her flushed cheeks, her dreamy eyes, and her swollen lips. The hand on the doorway tightened as she leaned into the other's caress.

It was hard, so hard, to be a gentleman sometimes. There were so many countless nights in high school when he had been achingly aware of her presence so close to him. Yet he had resisted the temptation to do more than kiss, even though it nearly killed him. Especially when she would, at first accidentally and afterwards deliberately, slip into his bed at night. It would be so easy, now, to pull her willingly into his bedroom, to pull off that pretty dress and discover what had been tormenting him all these years. But part of him resisted, insisting on the right time and place because, God willing, there would be one. With a soft sigh, he pulled his hands away and reached for his jacket.

"Let's go."

_/song break/_

Sano smiled bemusedly as Mizuki gestured wildly with her fork even as it stabbed intermittently at her too-sweet chocolate dessert. She was recounting a story about a new dog in her father's clinic where she had taken a part-time job. She trailed off, her eyes fixing on Sano, a worried expression on her face.

"You've been really quiet. Are you okay? Am I boring you?"

Sano's hand immediately took hers and caressed it softly. "You've never bored me, Mizuki." He lifted hers to his lips and saw her eyes widen in pleasure and a small smile creep across her face. Right now, he decided, steeling himself. He stood, his hand still linked with hers as he sank down on his knee in front of her to pull out the ring. "You'll never bore me and I'll never stop wanting to hear everything about you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"

Mizuki's hand was trembling now, her eyes swirling with emotions too quickly to identify, her face in a mask of shock.

_/song break/_

Sano realized his heart was pounding much too fast, knowing that if she were to reject him now, he might not survive it. He felt his own hand grip hers tighter involuntarily and his breath become ragged as he awaited her answer. He forced himself to relax and breathe slowly.

All at once, he was plagued with doubts. What if he had been wrong? What if she wasn't ready? Or, what if she didn't want to marry him anymore? She had seemed willing whenever he had hinted at it, but that seemed a lifetime ago. Had he waited too long?

What if she said no?

What if?

_/song break/_

And just as quickly, the doubts faded as Mizuki blinked and her lips spread into a soft sweet smile. The candlelight flickered turning her skin to gold and her hair a rich shade of amber. A strand of it slipped over her shoulder onto the thin white strap of her dress. He felt the world stop and his breath catch in his throat. She was absolutely beautiful. "Yes," she breathed. And then the spell broke as she laughed in pure delight. "Yes, yes, yes, yes -"

He stopped her mouth in a bruising kiss. He hadn't even known he'd moved, but suddenly he was there and her arms were around his neck pulling him closer. He tasted the chocolate and the fruit, but underneath it, he tasted pure Mizuki.

A smattering of applause and laughter made him jerk back. He blinked slowly, taking in the audience they accrued at the little restaurant. He felt a small bubble of resentment at the interruption but it disappeared before it could fully form when he heard Mizuki laugh. He took in her happily embarrassed expression and answered with a slow grin of his own. His fingers worked slowly and deliberately as they slipped on the ring.

It was a perfect fit.

_/song break/_

"No, he just asked me." There was a slight pause. "Of course I said yes, Shizuki!"

Sano laughed softly. They had come back to his apartment and Mizuki had called her home immediately. From what he could tell, Mizuki was on speakerphone with her entire family with her hands were gesticulating wildly. Sano felt a funny thumping in his chest every time the diamond on the ring flashed in the lamplight. He had, of course, gotten permission from Mizuki's parents long ago, but hadn't quite managed to persuade Shizuki to accepting him into the family. And so, Mizuki was now trying to convince Shizuki in whispers that Sano was definitely good enough for her and not let Sano hear her. Sano let out a full blown chuckle and Mizuki knew she'd failed. She gave him an apologetic look and mouthed "brothers" with a little roll of her eyes.

Sano jolted a bit, remembering he had his own brother to share the news with. His stepmother was already over the moon about it and his father was quietly excited as well. It meant more to Sano than he could ever say that Mizuki had managed to patch up years of resentment and create a reconciliation. He felt his heart swell and he thought that h couldn't possibly love her any more in that one moment.

He flipped out his own cell phone and dialed a number in Osaka.

_/song break/_

"Hello?" the voice panted slightly into the phone.

Sano grinned. Shin had probably been practicing, the 15 hour time difference from California to Japan made it early afternoon there. "Hey, Shin."

"Oh, nii-san. What's up?"

"She said yes." He heard the quiet excitement creep into his voice with just those three words.

There was a little pause before Shin replied, "Congratulations. Have you called mom and dad yet?"

"Nah, but I told them before I asked her. I'll call them later."

"They'll be really happy." Sano could hear the slight smile in Shin's voice, knowing that Sano had called him first. "Listen, I've gotta go. Practice, you know. Kagurazaka is still being an asshole, but he's pretty nice despite that. Weird, huh?"

Sano laughed. "Yeah. That sounds like him. Tell me if he gets out of hand, I'll go over there and beat him up for you."

Shin's laughter echoed through the receiver. "I can take him myself, but thanks. Tell Mizuki I said hi okay?"

Sano hung up with a smile on his face. He had long ago suspected Shin harbored something of a crush on Mizuki, but he'd just have to be satisfied with having her as a sister. She was Sano's, now and forever on.

_/song break/_

There was a click of the phone when Mizuki gently shut it. "Hey Sano?"

"Hm?" He glanced at her inquisitively.

Her smile was shy but her eyes happy. "Thank you for loving me."

He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her ring. "Thank you for marrying me."

_/song break/_

End


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